Silver Arrows expecting another close fight with Ferrari in Monaco
Monday 29 May 2017 08:33, UK
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says he has 'rediscovered' his love for Formula 1 in 2017 because of his team's ding-dong title fight with a resurgent Ferrari.
After the opening five rounds of the new season, the scoreline stands at Mercedes 3 Ferrari 2 for race wins this year with a mere eight points separating the two F1 superpowers in the Constructors' Championship.
The intensity of the fight for supremacy is in sharp contrast to the previous three seasons in which Mercedes steamrollered the opposition. But despite the extra aggravation, Wolff says he is relishing the competition.
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"Every weekend will push us to the limit; this is the new reality of Formula One in 2017," said the Mercedes chief. "The last three years were extraordinary. But this season I have re-discovered why I love the sport.
"I love the intense competition. This competition means that you won't be winning easily - but that you'll have a fierce fight on your hands. Because of that, the feeling is even greater when you manage to come out on top, as we did in Spain.
"If we get the job done in Monaco, I'm pretty sure we'll bring down the garage roof. We're all properly fired up for this fight."
This weekend's race in Monte Carlo is the showpiece event of the calendar and Wolff says that Lewis Hamilton's victory two weeks ago in Spain can offer the team no scope to rest on their laurels.
"We expect Monaco to be a completely different ball game to Barcelona," added Wolff.
"The circumstances, working environment and driving challenges are completely different to anywhere else - and you need to get everything exactly right if you want to perform to your maximum around those streets. Not every factor is under your control, either, so you need to turn fortune in your favour at the right time if you want everything to come together."
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Wolff also confirmed that Valtteri Bottas' engine failure in Barcelona had been attributed to a 'turbo' problem.
"We haven't seen that defect before, which shows you that you need to be double diligent," said Wolff. "This is a technical sport and if you stretch your limits, you'll encounter technical problems."
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